Banjo-Kazooie Director Leaves Rare After 36 Years

Gregg Mayles, the director behind Banjo-Kazooie and one of Rare’s most celebrated developers, has confirmed he has left the studio after 36 years.

On October 14, 2025, Mayles wrote on social media that he had completed his final day at the company where he helped shape some of Rare’s most memorable titles.

“Today was my last day at Rare. Thank you to everyone who played and enjoyed the games I worked on. And thank you to everyone who created them alongside me.”

He accompanied the post with a “final rhyme” — a reference to the little verses that often appeared in his projects.

Mayles joined Rare as one of its early designers, debuting on Solar Jetman (1990). He went on to be a driving force behind cornerstone releases such as Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Grabbed by the Ghoulies, and Viva Piñata.

Following Rare’s acquisition by Microsoft, Mayles led work on Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and Kinect Sports, and later served as creative director for Sea of Thieves. Altogether, he contributed to nearly 30 games.

His most recent project, Everwild, was canceled over the summer amid broad layoffs that impacted approximately 9,000 employees across the company.

Source: iXBT.games